• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

North Carolina Court panel unanimously throws out GOP gerrymandered legislative district maps

theeedude

theeedude

Lifer
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article234668747.html
North Carolina’s political maps for the state legislature are unconstitutional and must be redrawn before the 2020 elections, a court has decided.

A panel of judges struck down the maps Tuesday, in a 357-page ruling that focused on the level of political partisanship used to draw them. The maps were drawn in 2017 to replace previous maps, drawn in 2011, that had also been ruled unconstitutional. Both sets of maps were drawn by North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature.

The judges found that “The North Carolina Supreme Court has long and consistently held that ‘our government is founded on the will of the people,’ that ‘their will is expressed by the ballot.’”

And that fact helped the judges conclude that the maps violated the state constitution because “it is the carefully crafted maps, and not the will of the voters, that dictate the election outcomes in a significant number of legislative districts and, ultimately, the majority control of the General Assembly.”
Click to expand...

This is great news for NC, but also huge for national politics because legislature elected in 2020 will draw Congressional maps post 2020 census.
In 2016, Trump won NC 50.46% of NC vote, but Republicans won 10 of 13 (77%) of NC Congressional seats, and were bragging that was only because they couldn't draw maps to make it 11 out of 13.
 
senseamp said:
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article234668747.html


This is great news for NC, but also huge for national politics because legislature elected in 2020 will draw Congressional maps post 2020 census.
In 2016, Trump won NC 50.46% of NC vote, but Republicans won 10 of 13 (77%) of NC Congressional seats, and were bragging that was only because they couldn't draw maps to make it 11 out of 13.
Click to expand...
I hope the SCOTUS stays out of this decision and it becomes a precedent for people to follow for the long term.
 
No chance SCOTUS gets involved. Notwithstanding their recent decision stating districting is a state level function and they'd have to 180 that to get involved, this is a state level decision based on a state constitution. Only way for SCOTUS to get involved would be to say the state constitution violates the federal and they're not going to go there on a "one person one vote" issue like this.
 
Sunburn74 said:
I hope the SCOTUS stays out of this decision and it becomes a precedent for people to follow for the long term.
Click to expand...
It's a state constitution decision, scotus is actually inferior to a north carolina trial court in this matter (and in fact would have no jurisdiction - it's a citizen of north carolina vs. state of north carolina deciding a north carolina legal question. so there's no diversity jurisdiction nor a federal question involved).
 
Last edited:
so far the GOP has said that while they disgree with the decision, they will not appeal it as the state supreme court has a democrat majority and will not reverse this.
 
ElFenix said:
It's a state constitution decision, scotus is actually inferior to a north carolina trial court in this matter (and in fact would have no jurisdiction - it's a citizen of north carolina vs. state of north carolina deciding a north carolina legal question. so there's no diversity jurisdiction nor a federal question involved).
Click to expand...
Bush v Gore says hello.
 
sactoking said:
No chance SCOTUS gets involved. Notwithstanding their recent decision stating districting is a state level function and they'd have to 180 that to get involved, this is a state level decision based on a state constitution. Only way for SCOTUS to get involved would be to say the state constitution violates the federal and they're not going to go there on a "one person one vote" issue like this.
Click to expand...
Yeah, insanely hypocritical reasoning from the conservative members is unheard of, haha.
 
I’m the opposite of jstorm
Gerrymander the shit out of it. Only way to teach deplorable’s lessons is to beat the crap out of them.
Then they will come to the table to agree to something that works. That agreement needs to be concise and easy to understand otherwise they’ll backslide on it.
 
dank69 said:
Yeah, insanely hypocritical reasoning from the conservative members is unheard of, haha.
Click to expand...

Yes, if there's one thing they would never do it's that. I mean it's not like they would rule on one day that the Voting Rights Act was largely unconstitutional because policy circumstances no longer required it and then the next day argue that SCOTUS has no place to second guess what Congress thinks is necessary when it comes to the Defense of Marriage Act.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/scalia-doma-vs-vra/313859/

No sir.
 
Fanatical Meat said:
I’m the opposite of jstorm
Gerrymander the shit out of it. Only way to teach deplorable’s lessons is to beat the crap out of them.
Then they will come to the table to agree to something that works. That agreement needs to be concise and easy to understand otherwise they’ll backslide on it.
Click to expand...

I don't think you have to. The whole reason Republicans gerrymander in the first place is because they know they'll likely lose in a fair election. Institute fair districting and you "beat the crap out of them" while also giving them less fodder for future election rigging efforts.
 
Commodus said:
I don't think you have to. The whole reason Republicans gerrymander in the first place is because they know they'll likely lose in a fair election. Institute fair districting and you "beat the crap out of them" while also giving them less fodder for future election rigging efforts.
Click to expand...

Bold part is what they give zero fucks about.
They are playing a different game with different rules than us. We need to accept it and adapt.
 
fskimospy said:
Yes, if there's one thing they would never do it's that. I mean it's not like they would rule on one day that the Voting Rights Act was largely unconstitutional because policy circumstances no longer required it and then the next day argue that SCOTUS has no place to second guess what Congress thinks is necessary when it comes to the Defense of Marriage Act.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/scalia-doma-vs-vra/313859/

No sir.
Click to expand...

Those were totally different issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top